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Archive for July, 2012

100 days to sway the undecided…hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent by Obama and Romney on uncommitted voters in a few states…in WV Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney got ahead of the 100 days…he started statewide TV ads last week…fund raising must have picked up…or watch for another big personal check…he spent $2 million in personal funds in the special election.

A new element has been introduced in the WV Governor’s race…Charlotte Pritt…for those new to the political news here…she served as a State Senator…House of Delegates member…and now leads the Mountain Party…and is the only person to ever beat US Senator Joe Manchin in an election…that was the 1996 Democratic gubernatorial primary…Cecil Underwood defeated Pritt that Fall…a campaign I managed…and it was no picnic…as a Libertarian Wallace Johnson took votes from Underwood…in the end Underwood won with 51.6% to Pritt 45.8% and Johnson 2.6%.

This becomes an important development…for the both candidate Maloney and Governor Tomblin…the Democrat…Pritt’ s Mountain Party candidate may be able to pull liberal votes from both parties…if there are any in the GOP…creating another close Governor’s election…expect liberal Democrats are already upset with Tomblin…since he will not attend the Democrat National Convention in Charlotte.

State GOP is preparing for its convention in Beckley August 4th…delegates are expected from across the State…plus the State Executive Committee will hold its first meeting under the leadership of Conrad Lucas as the new Chair…he has been busy setting the stage for the 2012 election, raising funds and putting a Team in place…which includes a new Victory Director…Wendy McCuskey one of the best political minds I have met in years…Rob Cornelius will help with Legislative races and media.

In case you missed it…the 2012 presidential debate schedule was announced last week…there will be three…plus a VP debate…Domestic Policy will the topic on October 3rd in Denver…October 16th the candidates will be in Hempstead, NY to debate Foreign and domestic matters…the final debate is October 22nd on Foreign policy in Boca Raton, FL…the VP debate will be October 11th in Danville, KY.

DOWN ON THE FARM…a surprise endorsement of Kent Leonhardt for AgricultureCommissioner…provided by WV Farm Bureau…observers expected longtime Sen. Walt Helmick to be the favorite son…he had supported farm issues in the Legislature…and has been supported by Mike Teets…who got the 2008 endorsement over incumbent Ag Commissioner Gus Douglass.

No word when the Democrat Jefferson Jackson Day dinner will be rescheduled…it was cancelled due to the storm that hit the State in July.

Republicans are preparing for Tampa…Party Chair Conrad Lucas has named Bill Phillips as Delegation Chair…others set to serve on Committees include Tom O’Neill and Charlotte Lane Credentials…Rules Committee Donna Gosney and Bill Phillips…Lucas will have a seat on Resolutions…Senator Donna Boley and Delegate Bob Ashley on the Permanent Organization.

Life after the Presidency…an interview with former President George W. Bush…courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Center…click here to view.

Purpose of this blog is to keep political developments and news flowing to both Democrats and Republicans…Democrats send along your Tidbits.

Now facts of interest to workers of both parties…Gallup reported 39% of Democrats say they are more enthusiastic about voting than usual, down from the summer of 2004 (68%) and 2008 (61%)…Republicans (51%) are more enthusiastic than in 2008 (35%) but the same as in 2004 (51%).

Back to the undecided voters…A Washington Post and ABC News polling in recent days…shows there are fewer genuinely undecided voters in the 2012 election campaign…than in any of the last three elections.

Voters regardless of political party always seem to be interested in the real side of candidates. Campaign 2012 a feature of The Washington Post (not already a favorite of some phillipsbillboard.com readers) provides a good inside look at Governor Romney and his family. (Editor’s note: I serve as Chairman of the Romney presidential campaign in WV.)

Romney works hard at taking a vacation

By Philip Rucker (The Washington Post)

This weekend, Mitt Romney is starting his annual summer vacation on his lakefront compound here – a week of fun and family, though not entirely carefree. Read the full story here.